The Marvel Cinematic Universe may be known for its overt Easter eggs and end credits scenes, but it is also skilled in its more subtle running gags throughout its films. A more prominent example is a character losing an arm or hand to homage The Empire Strikes Back during the franchise’s second phase. An even quieter running gag has to do with Tony Stark’s left arm. While fans may not notice right away, the arm has become quite the punching bag for villains and heroes.
Stark has spent years since being Iron Man perfecting his craft to protect himself better. Even then, the universe still finds a way to give him one of the most relatable injuries in the entire MCU. The first Iron Man film starts the trend with him putting an ice pack on his left shoulder after a hard landing in his Mark II suit. In Iron Man 2, his arm is set on fire after Whiplash’s attack during the Monaco Grand Prix, but these injuries paled in comparison to Stark’s later appearances
Most of the injuries are more sight gags that fall organically into the story, but Iron Man 3 features two times his arm has come under fire. The first is when he crashes in Tennessee, and he uses the snow to smooth over his injured arm, and the second is during a fight with Aldrich Killian, where the villain rips off his suit’s left arm.
While the trilogy was the first to introduce the joke, his constant injuries expanded past his own films. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tony’s Hulkbuster suit suffers a left arm amputation courtesy of the Hulk. While Tony isn’t physically injured in the appendage, the moment feels like the powers that be were telling Stark he got lucky — this time.
Captain America: Civil War is where Tony takes the most damage to the arm, and things take a severe turn for his injury. After Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers escape custody, Tony looks at Natasha Romanoff and says, “My left arm is numb, is that normal?” At first, it feels like a throwaway line, but future appearances would lead some to think Tony may have severe nerve damage. Later in the film, he would also have a car dropped on his arm, leaving him in a sling. He also takes a hard landing on it while trying to kill Bucky, further damaging his already injured limb.
Spider-Man: Homecoming would show that Tony’s injuries have progressed in very subtle ways that could be easy to miss. After his first skirmish with the Vulture, Tony’s Iron Man suit saves Peter from falling to his death. As it turns out, Tony is in India while he lectures the young hero. In a brief moment, as he takes a sip of his drink, Tony’s left hand can be seen shaking while resting on a column.
This moment would later be revisited when he takes Peter’s suit away. Just before yelling at him, Tony nurses his wrist as if there’s still some pain in his arm. While there is no confirmation, it could be possible that high-stress situations cause his arm pain to flare up. Nevertheless, it’s a wildly clever detail that’s easy to miss.
Tony Stark isn’t superhuman, though his ego would lead him to believe otherwise. However, because he’s an ordinary man, he’s subject to everyday problems. In this case, this includes long-term injuries that can get worse over time. Since Tony can’t turn off being a hero, his left arm has served as penance for his good deeds. While it seems like a bad time for Tony, it’s a very disarming and comedic realization that even heroes like Iron Man can have the same problems as a regular person.
About The Author